Railroad crossing gate



Sept. 15, 1931. W, T. FERGUSON 1,823,596

RAILROAD CROSSNG GATE Filed Api 15, lSO 4 Sheei=ht @5w y JWW f/.w

Sept. 15, 1931. w. 'I'.FERGUSQN 1,823,596

RAILROAD CROSS ING GATE Filed April l5, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Sept, 15,1931. w. T. FERGUSON 1,823,596

' RAILROAD cRossING GATE Filed April 15, 1930 4 sheets-sheet 4 PatentedSept. 15, 1931 Unifransra-rissA PATENT OFFICE;

WILLIAM 'I'. FERGUSON, 0F BEGKLEY, OF WEST 'VIRGINLL ASSIGNOR OFTWO-THIRDS l T0 EDGAR M. CROUCH AND HERMAN J'. THORNE, BOTH OE BECKLEY,WEST VIRGINIA,

AND ONE-THIRD T0 D. E. LLOYD, TRUSTEE nAiLnoAn CROSSING GATEAApplication filed April 15, A19,30. Serial No. 444,572.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of means mountedwithin the housings for raising or lowering the [gates automatically. vf Y M Afurther feature of the invention is the provision of means for somounting said gates that when in lowered position, theyy will swinglaterally when struck lby an approaching road vehicle without causinginjury to the vehicle or gate. Y n

A further feature of the invention is the provision of means forautomatically returning the gates toposi'tion acrossA the roadway shouldthe gates be swung laterally from any cause, when in lowered position.`

A further feature of the invention is the provision of a suitable ,turntable forthe dome portion of the housing.

Other `objects and advantages will be hereinafter more fully set forthand pointed out in the accompanying specification.

In the accompanying drawings whichare made a part Vof this application,p

Figure l is a diagrammatic view of highway and railway in crossingrelation, with parts shown in full lines in operative Vposition and inother positions by `dotted lines. Figure 2 is a side elevation ofaf gateand its supporting housing, with the gate in lowered position in fulllines and in elevated position by dotted lines'. n n

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view, as seen along line 3-3, Fig. 4,with the gate lowered. l l

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view, as seen along line 4 4 of Fig. 3,and shows the gate in elevated position.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail sectionalv view, showing the bearingmeans between the dome and housing.

Figure 6 is an elevational view thereof.

gate arev fixed to Figure 7 is avertical sectional view through the gateoperatingmeans, and,

Figure 8 isa sectional view thereof asseen along line 8 8, Figure 7.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference numerals designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral ldesignates a railway track and 2 indicates a vehicle roadway, whichcrosses the railway track and while I have shown but a single trackway,it will be understood that vtwo Vor vniore trackways may be laid, sideby side, and that the trackwayis shown as electrically equipped,yetother forms Vof traction means may be employed for propelling thetrains over the trackways. It will, likewise be seen that although butl.a single gate structure is shown on 'opposite sides of the railway,these gates may be arranged in multiples, as desired. In. order to Warnany one traveling the roadway that a train vis approaching the crossing,gates 8 are positioned on opposite sides of the railway tracks v1, at asuitable distance therefrom, each gate being pivotf so` that Vsaid gateVmay be swung downwardly A to dispose the major portion 0f the lgateacross the roadway and in the path of an approaching vehicle or apedestrian. The gates 3 are, in the examples shown, Vbifurcated at theirpivoted ends, the beam portions 7 of each gate being in straddledrelation to the-dome 5, so that the beams of the the opposite ends ofthe shaft 4. v A o Therhousing 6 is hollow and preferably cylindrical incross section, the lower edge thereof having a lateral flange 8, whichmay be attached to av concrete or other -form of base 9, in any suitablemanner, as 'by means of bolts l0.V The upper edge of the housing' 6 ispreferably thickened Ainwardly to foi'in abroad base'll, on which aremounted any suitable form of bearing rollers 12, which receive and forma bearing for vthe f doine 5, the lowerv edge of the domehaving abearing surface 13 over which the rollers travel.

Vertically disposed within the housing 6 is the standard electricallyoperated oil cylinder 14. The lower end of said cylinderis pivotallysecured to the foundation 9 or base structure of the apparatus by meansof the eyebolt means 15, the piston rod 16 extending from the upper ormotor end vofV the cylinder to the U crank 17 both ends of which areintegrally secured to the gate shaft 4. Said oil operated cylinder, asbe-l fore indicated, is of standard commercial design, and in theexample shown has a motor 18 at the upper end, the oil cylinder proper19 being at the lower end.

Adjacent the roadway, a circuit breaker 20 is embodied with theconventional trolley wire 21, and is adapted tobe operated by thetrolley wheel of the passing electric train (not shown). Some distancealong the trolley 21, from the roadway 2, are dis- .;posed the electriccontact makers 22 and 23 one on each side of said roadway, and are alsooperated bythe passing trolley wheel. Said contact makers serve tooperate the -motors 18 ofthe oil-'cylinders 19 thru the relay apparatus24 as will be understood.

By this arrangement it will be understood that'an electric trainapproaching the roadway 2 from either side will actuate oneof theelectric contact makers 22 which causes lio current to be immediatelycarried to the motors 18 causing the inipellers 25 to be rotated, theoil or the like within the cylinders 19 being forced throughout theslots in the` iinpellers thus elevating the impeliers and causing theVpiston rods 16 to direct upward force against the U type cranks 17 whichrotate theV gates 3 thru their shafts 4 to closed, or lowered position,as shown in Fig. v 1. As the train reaches the proximity of Amotors 18,the counterweights 26 of the gates the roadway, 2, it strikes thecircuit breaker 2 0 and the operation of the oil cylinders Ybeing' thusdiscontinued, by cutting out the serve to swing saine upwardly to anVopen position, as indicated by dotted lines inA Fig. 2.

"If'coincident to the passing of a train, a

traveller on the roadway 2 should be unable to bring his vehicle to astop before reaching the gates 3, and it is found necessary to srikesame, said gates by the force of this contact swing around to a positionindicated by the dotted lines27, Fig. 1, the dome 5 beingcorrespondingly rotated ontheY rollers 12. If on the other hand thetraveller should find himself between the vgates after they are closedhe may crowd vhis vehicle against either gate, thus swinging same into aposition indicated by dotted lines 28. `As the cylinder structure 14 ispivot-ally connected with the base .or foundation 9 and as the upper endof the piston rod 16 connects with the crank 17 the piston rod must havesliding connection with the crank 17 and the curvature of said crank,when the gate is in lowered position, must be radial to the pivotal axisof the dome 5 so that the dome and parts carried thereby may be rotatedwithout aecting the piston rod 16 and parts associated therewith.- n l yy In order that the gates'inay be immediately righted after being freedfrom the interfering vehicle, a trunnioii 29'extend's downwardly fromthe inwardly extending web 30 of the dome 5 at a medial of said dome,thru a corresponding web 32 of the housing 6. Said trunnion extendsdownwardly beyond the web 32 and carries the crank 33, which is adaptedto be swung-.about within the VinglyY rotates ruiming the cable 34 upover `one of thesheave Wheels 37 thus raising the wveight 36.' lt vwilltheieforebe understood that as soon as'the gates are again free, ktheweight 36 will draw the en d of the crank 33 back to its normalposition, the cable 34 `being drawiifbackover the saine one of thevpulleys 37, in opposite directions.

The hole 39 thru which the cable 34 is disposed thru the crank 33, has agradual bellmouth lowertermination 40 which prevents the cable 34Vfrombeing easily severed at i f this point thru ordinary use. Slightlytoward the main part of each of the gates 3 beyond the shaft 4, a loop41 is attached at one end to each of apair of the beams 7,

said loop beingv adapted to somewhat straddle the dome 5 when the gateis in closed position as shown'in Fig. 2 and restrict the downwardmovement 0f the gate by contact with the stop vlug 42 of the respectivedomes 5. c

The relay 24 is of standard commercial dcsign preferably and now incommon use. The conductors 43 communicate vthe circuit makers '22 and23, andthe circuit breakcr.1 2O with said relayapparatus, and conductors44 feed the motors 18 from the relay juncture 45, return conductors 46being grounded through said relay apparatus by means of the conductor 47to one of the' rails 1. l.

A bell type danger gong 48is mounted on the post 49 vadjacent theintersection of the roadway 22 and the rails 1, and concurrently withthe'operation of the motors 18, said i gong is actuated by the conductor50 and the ground connection 51.

A stop signal light 52 alsoy conveniently mounted on the post 49 oversaid gong, is likewise actuated by the conductorA 53 through the relayapparatus 24, the conductor 54 serving as a ground connection for same.

While the description and drawingsilluslo trate in a general way certaininstrumentalities which may be employed in carrying the invention intoeffect, it is evident that many modifications may be made in the variousdetails without departing from the scope of the appended claims, itbeing understood that the invention is not restricted to the particularexamples herein described.

What I claim is:

l. In a crossing gate, a hollow housing, a

base for said housing, a dome rotatably mounted on said housing, a shaftextending through said dome, a gate structure attached Y to said shaft,a substantially U-shaped crank attached to said shaft, andanelectrically operated impeller pivotally mounted on-said base withinsaid housing for controlling the raising and lowering of said gate saidimpeller having sliding connection with said U-shaped crank whereby saidcrank may slide transverselyA through said connection when the dome isrotated. i

2. In a crossing gate, `ahousing, ademe rotatably mounted onsaidhousing, a gate carried by said dome and adapted to swing vlaterally when in lowered position and rotate the dome, a crank adaptedto Swingin an arc of a circle when the dome is rotated, y said crankhaving an opening therethrough,

a cable passing through said opening, thelower extremity of said openingbeing liared to prevent wear on said cable, a weight at tached to saidcable, and sheaves over which said cable travels for causing the weightto elevate when the dome is rotated and return the gate to initialposition when lateral pressure is relieved therefrom.

3. In a crossing gate, a housing, a dome mounted thereover, rollersmounted on the housing for receiving the weight of said dome, a shaftextending transversely through said dome, a gate structure mounted onsaid shaft, an electrically operated impeller mounted in said housingand Ypivotally secured to the base of the housing, a substantiallyU-shaped crank attached to said shaft, and a piston rod extending fromsaid impeller and having sliding engagement with said crank, wherebysaid gate may swing later- A ally in either direction whenin loweredposition incident to lateral impact thereagainst without affecting saidpiston rod.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto Vset my hand on this the Sthday ofMarch, 1930.

e5 WILLIAM TFERGUSON.

